In 1927, when poachers hunted down the last wild European bison near Mount Elbrus, 48 specimens remained in a handful of zoos. His fate seemed cast.
But then a Pole said, “not on my watch,” and created the International Bison Defense Company.
Recover the European bison. In fact, the CIDB was founded in 1923 a few years after the last Polish bison died in the Białowieża Forest. Until the beginning of the 20th century (and from some point in the 16th century), these animals had been considered a hunting privilege of the nobility and, thanks to the strict punishment of poaching, they had survived in Eastern Europe.
The First World War changed that and the need to feed soldiers and refugees hit the indigenous populations hard. In 1919, for example, the last Polish bison died.
The CIDB partners tried to remedy the problem, but a global economic crisis, a string of local problems and a (another) world war hit them. Although they had released two bison in 1929, it was not until 1950 that they managed to convince the new Polish state that it was a good idea to go further. Today there are more than 1,000. A complete success.
A success that goes far beyond Poland. And, in fact, it is reaching almost all countries in Europe. In a way, the Białowieża Forest has become the birthplace of the European bison. Bulgaria, Romania, the Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic and even the United Kingdom have joined the reintroduction of the European bison.
Also Spain.
There may have been previous antecedents, but the most iconic case (and the one that kicked things off) was the introduction of seven specimens in the Palencia municipality of San Cebrián de Mudá. Little by little, in successive introductions, bison have made a fortune in numerous Spanish provinces.
And now the problems come. According to some versions, the last Spanish bison died in the 12th century at some point of Navarre. Nobody knows if it’s true. In fact, no one knows for sure if any wild European bison ever set foot on the Iberian Peninsula.
According to a study published in Conservation Science and Practice and signed by 40 Spanish researchers indicates, in fact, that “there is no evidence that this species inhabited the Iberian Peninsula in any historical period.”
But Altamira… It is true that one of the most famous images in the cave paintings of Altamira is a bison. But, as far as we know, it must have been a old bison the steppe bison that became extinct about 10,000 years ago.
Will they be a problem? Probably. According to the researchers, the adaptation of this species to the Mediterranean climate is problematic: bison need very specific climatic conditions and its introduction would only put other species such as red deer (or extensive livestock) in problems.
That is to say, they are a ticking time bomb for a good part of the country’s socio-ecological balance.
Image | Michael Gäbler
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